What You Still Can Do When They Take All the Power?!

For documentary purposes, the German Federal Archives often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Nuremberg, Reich Party Rally, Cathedral of Light ADN-ZB/Archive Reich Party Rally of the NSDAP, "Rally of Honor", opened on September 8, 1936 in Nuremberg. 13166-36 "Cathedral of Light" with anti-aircraft searchlights over Zeppelin Field and Zeppelin main tribune Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1982-1130-502

Feeling the Ground Erode

January 20th, 2025, marks the inauguration of a President intent on dismantling constitutional protections, curtailing freedoms for queer and transgender people, stripping women’s autonomy, and weakening the democratic foundations of the United States.

This isn’t a distant threat; it’s a present reality, set to reshape millions of lives. Perhaps you feel the weight of it—the knowledge that policies meant to control and silence are ready to take effect.

I know this weight. I’ve lived it.

Growing up in Germany, my education laid bare how fear, control, and compliance enabled the rise of the Third Reich. Yet my understanding didn’t end in the classroom. On a personal level, I’ve experienced systems that sought to contain and control me, where autonomy was a faint aspiration.

These systems thrive on fear, isolation, and dependency, convincing you that resistance is futile. But here’s the truth: they cannot survive without compliance.

Their power lies in convincing you that you have none.

Change begins when you shift your perspective—when you refuse to participate in their narrative. It’s not about grand gestures; it’s in small, deliberate steps: supporting others, questioning the stories these systems tell, and fostering connection.

This essay is about what you can do—today and every day—to counter oppression and reclaim autonomy.

Let’s begin by examining how these systems sustain themselves and how we can start to challenge them.

Naming What You Feel

Let’s take a moment to ground this in your reality.

Maybe it’s the second-guessing you’ve internalized, questioning your choices because you’ve been told they’re wrong or not enough. Perhaps it’s the weight of knowing your rights and autonomy are treated as negotiable, or the dread of speaking up because silence and submission seem safer.

It could even be the neighbor whose words once held warmth but now carry division. Their lawn bears exclusionary slogans, their voice amplifying distance instead of connection.

These experiences aren’t isolated. They’re part of a system built to control, isolate, and make you doubt yourself. This isn’t a flaw in you—it’s the system’s design.

I know this because I’ve lived it.

As a child, compliance wasn’t optional—it was enforced. The system shaped my actions, thoughts, and sense of self, forcing me to function in ways that served it, not me. Later, as a German student, I studied how systems like the Third Reich thrived on fear, isolation, and eroding autonomy—patterns I later recognized in my own life.

These systems rely on your compliance, making you believe questioning is dangerous and resistance is futile. But when you name these patterns and challenge their narrative, their grip weakens.

Understanding is the first step. Naming what you feel creates space to question, connect, and reclaim agency. Let’s explore how these systems function and how we can begin dismantling their influence, one intentional step at a time.

The Anatomy of Oppression

Oppressive systems rely on a set of interconnected mechanisms to maintain control. Whether the context is personal, intermediate, or societal, the principles remain consistent:

1. Control of Narrative: At the core of any oppressive system is the ability to define reality—to dictate what is true and what is false, often leaving those under its influence questioning their own perceptions.

   1. In a personal relationship, this might mean constant manipulation or gaslighting, where your own sense of truth is eroded.

   2. In a workplace, it could take the form of selective communication, where vital information is withheld or distorted.

   3. On a societal level, propaganda and censorship serve to rewrite history, shape collective beliefs, and stifle dissent, forcing individuals to conform to a single imposed narrative.

2. Isolation: Oppressors often isolate their targets to weaken resistance.

   This could mean cutting off personal support systems or creating divisions within a group to prevent solidarity.

   At the societal level, this takes the form of dividing people along racial, economic, or ideological lines or any other category used for discrimination.

3. Economic Dependency: By restricting access to resources, oppressors create dependency.

   Whether it’s a partner withholding finances, a corporation exploiting workers, or a regime controlling wealth, economic control is a powerful tool for maintaining power.

   For instance, a regime might withhold disaster relief funds—such as in Los Angeles—to pressure the state into compliance and, ultimately, complacency.

4. Fear and Punishment: Fear of consequences—whether physical, emotional, or economic—keeps individuals compliant.

   Punishment, whether it’s a silent treatment, demotion, imprisonment, or worse, reinforces submission.

5. Internalization: Perhaps the most insidious aspect of oppression is how it erodes dignity and objectifies the oppressed, reducing them to tools for the oppressor’s gain. By limiting resources and exerting control, oppressors instill a sense of dependency that chips away at autonomy and self-worth.

   Over time, this external control becomes internalized, as individuals begin to doubt their own value and view their desires, ambitions, and even needs as unworthy or excessive. The constant reinforcement of power imbalances teaches the oppressed to police themselves, silencing their voices before others can. This internalization transforms the oppressor’s external domination into a pervasive, self-imposed constraint, making resistance feel impossible and perpetuating cycles of compliance and complacency.

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Lessons: A German Perspective

As a German citizen, I’ve engaged deeply with the systemic oppression that shaped my country’s history, particularly during the Weimar Republic and the rise of the Third Reich. Six years of schooling exposed me to this history, and I’ve revisited it repeatedly, finding its lessons deeply relevant.

Over time, I began to see parallels between my own experiences and the mechanisms of systemic oppression from that era. This led me to examine transgenerational trauma—how it influenced my behavior and worldview.

The Third Reich was a meticulously constructed machinery of terror. It thrived on unchecked power, institutional co-opting, and propaganda designed to divide and control. Every aspect of German society was entangled in this web, upheld by individuals and organizations acting in ideological fanaticism, pursuit of power, or cold efficiency.

Institutions of Oppression

1. Scientists and Civil Servants

   • Scientists legitimized Nazi ideology with pseudoscience like eugenics, culminating in horrific experiments under figures like Josef Mengele.

   • Civil Servants executed oppressive policies, from racial laws to deportations, framing their complicity as professional duty.

2. Wehrmacht

   Once seen as a professional army, the Wehrmacht was co-opted to enforce genocidal policies, particularly on the Eastern Front, contributing to atrocities under the guise of war.

3. Police and Gestapo

   • Local police enforced fear and compliance, working closely with Nazi organizations.

   • The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany, established in 1933. Its primary role was to suppress opposition to the Nazi regime and enforce its policies through surveillance, interrogation, and brutal methods. The organization became infamous for its use of fear, coercion, and violence to maintain control.

4. SA (Sturmabteilung)

   The SA, or "Brownshirts," served as enforcers during Hitler's rise, using violence and intimidation to silence opposition. While their influence diminished after 1934, their actions laid the foundation for the terror tactics that defined the Nazi regime. A chilling parallel can be drawn to those who, by storming the Capitol, attempted to overturn the 2020 U.S. election, driven by the same individual seeking to regain power.

5. SS (Schutzstaffel)

   Under Himmler, the SS evolved from Hitler’s bodyguard unit into the regime’s most infamous arm of the regime, overseeing concentration camps, the Holocaust, and the enforcement of Nazi racial policies. Despite its name (Schutzstaffel meaning "Protection Squadron"), it became synonymous with systematic genocide and tyranny.

Von Autor/-in unbekannt (Franz Konrad confessed to taking some of the photographs, the rest was probably taken by photographers from Propaganda Kompanie nr 689.[1][2]) - en:Image:Warsaw-Ghetto-Josef-Bloesche-HRedit.jpg uploaded by United States Holocaust MuseumDieses Bild wurde digital nachbearbeitet. Folgende Änderungen wurden vorgenommen: artifacts and scratches removed, levels adjusted, and image sharpened. Das Originalbild kann hier eingesehen werden: Stroop Report - Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 06.jpg: . Bearbeitet von Durova., Gemeinfrei, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3584240

A System of Supremacy

Across these institutions, the Nazi ideology of racial and political superiority was reinforced through propaganda, fear, economic disenfranchisement, and dehumanization. Marginalized groups were systematically oppressed, their humanity stripped to justify unspeakable atrocities. Institutions and individuals alike basked in their perceived power, fostering complicity on a massive scale.

Tools of Oppression

The regime’s success relied on:

• Propaganda: Controlling media to manipulate public perception, bury truths, and normalize lies.

  What happens when leaders repeatedly label the press as 'fake news,' flood public discourse with misinformation, and use platforms to twist reality?

• Fear and Surveillance: The Gestapo cultivated paranoia, silencing dissent through fear.

  How do tactics like monitoring social media, targeting whistleblowers, and fostering fear of 'the other' echo these patterns today?

• Economic Control: Marginalized groups were disenfranchised, while promises of stability ensured public compliance.

  When tax policies favor the elite, while entire communities are vilified or left behind, whose stability is really being secured?

• Dehumanization: Laws, education, and culture embedded narratives of inferiority, enabling atrocities.

  Can we ignore the impact of rhetoric that dehumanizes immigrants, minorities, or political opponents, framing them as threats rather than people?

This system infiltrated every aspect of life, making resistance nearly impossible without extraordinary courage. The instability of the Weimar Republic created fertile ground for its rise, as fear drove people to seek security, often at the cost of their own complicity.

The Nazi regime’s methods offer a stark warning: systems of oppression thrive on fear, division, and the erosion of autonomy. These lessons remain deeply relevant today, underscoring the need to recognize and resist such systems wherever they emerge.

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The Role of Complicity and Compliance

No oppressive system exists in isolation. It requires the active participation or passive compliance of many individuals to sustain itself.

This complicity often stems from fear, self-preservation, or even the belief that one’s actions are justified within the framework of the system.

In the case of the Third Reich, many civil servants, teachers, and even scientists became enablers of the regime’s policies, believing they were simply doing their duty.

On a personal level, complicity can manifest as staying silent in the face of abuse or adopting the oppressor’s narrative to avoid conflict. In organizations, employees might turn a blind eye to unethical practices to protect their careers. Recognizing complicity is uncomfortable but necessary if we are to break the cycle.

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Disrupting Oppression

How do we counter entrenched systems of oppression?

The path is neither simple nor linear, but it begins with awareness and a shift in perspective. Recognizing oppression is only the start—breaking free requires the transformative work of healing and self-restoration.

Over four years of reconnecting with my true self and redefining what self means, I’ve learned principles that extend beyond personal growth. These lessons guide how we can challenge systems of control, both internally and externally:

1. Understand the System: Observe the patterns of power. Who holds it, how is it maintained, and what mechanisms enforce control?

2. Reconnect with Yourself: Oppression disconnects us from our agency. Rebuilding it means questioning internalized narratives and unlearning imposed patterns. Therapy, coaching, and reflection were essential for me.

3. Seek Solidarity: Isolation sustains oppression. Build a network of support—friends, colleagues, or communities. In connection, we find strength.

4. Challenge the Narrative: Speak your truth. Disrupting dominant stories, even in small ways, weakens their grip. Tell your own story. Tell your own truth. Do not let them define them.

5. Cultivate Resilience: Self-care is not indulgence; it’s survival. Feeling overwhelmed is a normal response to immense pressure and injustice. It’s important to acknowledge that, for those directly targeted, stepping away from the front lines may not be a retreat but a strategy. Sometimes, fueling resistance is safer and more effective from outside the system itself. A dead or incarcerated person is deprived of their power, their voice silenced when it is most needed. Do not let it come to that. Please.

   Choosing to protect yourself and preserve your strength is not cowardice; it’s courage. Leaving the country if you fear for your life is not an act of abandonment but one of self-preservation and defiance. Resistance takes many forms, and survival can be its own form of protest. You are not alone, and your worth is not diminished by choosing safety.

6. Take Collective Action: Resistance thrives in unity. Vote, organize, or support movements that challenge the status quo. Collective effort drives systemic change.

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A Shift in Perspective

Breaking free begins with understanding the mechanisms of control—fear, isolation, and dependency. By reclaiming agency, building solidarity, and challenging oppressive narratives, we create cracks in these systems.

Even small acts of resistance matter.

This path takes courage and consistency but reminds us that change is possible. For me, the shift began when I stopped seeing myself as a victim of circumstance and started seeing myself as an active participant in my own liberation. This didn’t mean denying pain or injustice—it meant refusing to let them define me.

By examining the system, naming its patterns, and choosing a different path, I began to dismantle its hold. Writing and sharing these insights is my way of inviting others to join this journey.

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Conclusion: Your Role in the Cycle

You are not powerless. Systems of oppression rely on silence, compliance, and the belief in their inevitability. Reclaiming your agency begins with a refusal to accept imposed narratives and a commitment to growth.

From there, extend outward—build solidarity, take action, and imagine a different world. Whether the system you face is personal, organizational, or societal, the principles remain the same. So does the possibility of freedom.

In the end, it comes down to a choice: who do you believe more? Yourself—what you know to be true within—or the system, dictating what you should feel, believe, and how you should behave?

This is where the true power of oppression lies: in convincing you to trust its narrative over your own truth. And it is here, too, that the seeds of its dissolution are sown. When you reclaim your inner knowing, the system’s grip begins to falter.

This is where your own agency and self-governance as well as dignity lies.

I am sure, together, we can break the cycle!

Thank for walking this path with me. Maybe you’ll consider sharing it.

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